Lentil Soup with Lemon

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅛ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, diced

2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

1 pinch chili powder

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon chili powder. Cook and stir until spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth, lentils, and carrot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.

Working in batches, fill a blender halfway with soup. Cover and hold the lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a pot. Repeat with the remaining soup. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and purée the soup right in the cooking pot. Do not purée all of the soup; leave it a little chunky.

Stir in lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with chili powder, and serve.

Nutrition

• Calories: 351 kcal
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 6 mg
• Sodium: 1247 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 38 g
• Dietary Fiber: 16 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 15 g